Eduard Folayang predicts he will finish Eddie Alvarez in Manila

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard 'Landslide' Folayang is ready to make a statement at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in Manila, Philippines on Friday, 2 August.

The Filipino warrior faces four-time Lightweight World Champion Eddie 'The Underground King' Alvarez, and despite his opponent’s vast skills and experience, he is confident he will defeat the American legend.

Although he didn’t reveal how he wished this bout would end, Folayang said one thing is guaranteed – a jaw-dropping finale.

“A knockout and submission will always be there if you are in the proper position – that is a given,” he stated. “I think it will end in a knockout.”

Folayang’s last appearance in ONE Championship ended in defeat, as grappling wizard Shinya 'Tobikan Judan' Aoki put him to sleep in Tokyo, Japan last March.

Losing the prestigious belt, however, did not demotivate the Team Lakay superstar. Instead, it taught him that there is still so much to learn.

“I got it, but lost it again this time. I think the most challenging part is how to get yourself back on the winning track,” the 35-year-old explained.

“One of the things that I learned in my career so far is to never stop learning and improving as much as possible because you should realize that everyone is aiming to become a (World) Champion.

“As an athlete, if you start to think that you are good, you will no longer grow. (That is why) as much as possible, I want to learn to be better, sharpen my strengths, and improve my weaknesses.”

Folayang’s outstanding record throughout his time in ONE speaks for itself.

Some of the notable names he has defeated since joining the promotion in 2011 include Aoki, Ev Ting, Kotetsu Boku, Adrian Pang, Tetsuya Yamada, and Amir Khan.

Alvarez will be a significant threat to the Baguio City native’s chances, but “Landslide” has faced similar opponents in the past.

“I think Eddie is a good martial artist – you will not become a World Champion if you don’t have a good approach to being a martial artist,” he said.

“I believe wrestling and boxing are his strengths, but if you’ll look at Eddie’s track record, you will see that almost all his defeats are from high-level strikers – that is his weakness.”